I traveled to Kuala Lumpur quite frequently last year and did my best to avoid Malaysia Airlines. Why? Let’s just say I was scared. I often ended up flying with Cathay Pacific which necessitates a stop in Hong Kong. What were supposedly 3 hour 45 minute flights became tiring 9 hour journeys.

So on my last visit to the home of the Petronas Towers, I chose to fly with Malaysia Airlines. My mom and siblings asked me to cancel my trip when they found out I booked with the airline but I told them not to worry. I’ve read many unpleasant stories about Malaysia Airlines but I decided to give them a try anyway. Continue reading →

Where have I been these past few months? Or better yet, where have I been this past year (or two)? Around. Pretty much around. My life has been very busy recently hence the infrequent journal entries.

Moving on… I just came back from the United States. It was my first time to step on American soil and I had a great time. One of the primary reasons of my visit was to attend my brother’s graduation from the Master of Laws program of Yale University. Yale Law School, by the way, is regarded as the number one law school in the world.

Yale Law School Commencement. This was after the university rites held at the Yale Old Campus.

We spent quite some time appreciating the campus of Yale University. The buildings were grand, charming, and full of history. Walking around the area was surreal, almost like being in a movie. It had a vibrant, old-world charm to it that I loved. Continue reading →

So, here I am again sharing my Singapore experience from a few months back. Actually, this is the very first part of it since my last one was on Legoland Malaysia.

I hardly visit zoos. There is only one instance which I can recall that I visited a zoo – the Manila Zoo when I was in 2nd grade. There’s something about zoos that don’t interest me even though I love watching the National Geographic. That’s why I was pretty surprised when I actually wanted to see the Night Safari in Singapore.

I look like a dweeb. Then again, I’m a geek. Close enough.

The Singapore Night Safari is the very first safari park for night (or nocturnal) animals. It opened in 1994 and today it welcomes more than a million visitors a year. This award-winning park has more than 2,500 animals housed in areas similar to their natural habitats. A ticket here costs 35 SGD for adults, which is roughly 1100 PHP.

All set for my Night Safari adventure!

The park has different attractions for both the young and the old. Their main attraction is the guided tram ride that takes one across 7 zones from around the world. There are also walking trails for the guest to explore. Quite a number of the animals are too little to clearly see from the tram ride and this is how you’ll see them. Lastly, they have special shows and performances to keep you entertained. There’s a fire dance-slash-stunts show called the Thumbuakar as well as the popular (and definitely a must-see) Creatures of the Night. Continue reading →

Once upon a time, the norm for government buildings was to have tasteful architecture. I was roaming around Metro Manila one fine weekend when I ended up at the CCP complex. An imposing edifice caught my attention while in search of the Coconut Palace.

The Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), completed in 1976, is one of the grand projects of the late President Ferdinand Marcos. Designed by the National Artist Leandro Locsin, it is the first international convention center in Asia. It officially opened in 1976 when the annual meeting of the World Bank was held there.

Back to my little adventure. PICC is beautiful inside and out. Its definitely brutalist. Even if it was designed in the 70’s, the building still looks modern inside and out.

The ceiling is just beautiful.

It looks sparkly inside! Very clean.

The PICC lobby.

The benches are simple yet nice.

What surprised me was how clean the place was. PICC is older than the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 and yet it looks more fresh. Even the comfort rooms were decent!

I just hope in the coming years, government buildings would be like the PICC — timeless.

First of all, long time no write! I have been too lazy to blog recently and I have a heyuuuge backlog of entries.

Last week, I had to go to Singapore for business and stayed there for a six days. It was my first time (Second, technically. But my first one was just a stopover to Jakarta) to visit the prosperous city state and I was very excited.

First stop… Legoland Malaysia! Rather than going around Singapore on my free day, I chose to go on an adventure to Johor Bahru and experience Legoland. I have been fascinated by Lego ever since I was a child and I grabbed the chance to see Legoland.

I arrived in Singapore at around 11 AM of Monday. I went straight to Swissotel the Stamford and deposited my luggage. I rode the MRT to Bugis Station and walked to Queen Street where there’s a terminal for buses going to JB.

Causeway Link bus going to Johor Bahru

In less than an hour, I was crossing the Singapore-Malaysia border. There was some time spent going through Malaysian immigration but it was bearable. The bus ride ended in JB Sentral where I had to wait for another bus, LG1, that goes to Legoland. Continue reading →

Much has been said about Bangkok, the bustling capital of Thailand, which is considered as the world’s best city by Travel + Leisure magazine. Whether you’re into shopping, partying, or sightseeing, the Thai capital has got you covered. Bangkok’s a great example of modernity mixed with traditional culture.

Cruising along the Chao Praya River, the birthplace of Bangkok.

Exploring Bangkok involves a lot of walking, train rides, and river cruises. It’s easy to get around the city since their modes of transport are well-integrated with each other. Also, the sidewalks of Bangkok are usually wide which is great for exploring the city on foot. In the shopping districts, such as Ratchaprasong, there are skywalks similar to Ayala Center’s. Continue reading →